prncess674

This may sound petty but I had a recent trip where the UberX rate quoted was $9 but when at the destination the fare came to $13. I know it is only $4 but that is almost a 50% difference. I contacted them and got a canned response. There was no heavy traffic, no extra stops and I entered the accurate destination. Anyone else have this happen to them?

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When you select your vehicle option, the price displayed in the app at the beginning of the trip is the fare you'll be charged for the ride. These fares are calculated dynamically, based on your pickup and drop off locations. Please note that your upfront fare price will include any higher rates that come into effect when demand is high.

I can confirm that you were correctly charged the amount shown when the ride was requested, so you should be all set.

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback and feel free to reach out any time in the future.

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Often1

I guess it's a he said / she said.

The quoted fare is the final fare and has nothing to do with the traffic or anything other than a change in the destination or stops which you add to the route.

This comes down to a factual dispute between what you say the quoted fare was at the time you selected the ride and what Uber says it was.

You could respond again saying that and see where it gets you or you could dispute $4 of the charge, but some people find that their Uber accounts are locked out when that happens.

obscure2k

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT Ride sharing Forum (includes Uber discussions)
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Miami305

This is NOT petty at all. There is a lawsuit in California pending, filed by Uber drivers who are pissed off that Uber is essentially skimming. Uber's upfront pricing quotes the rider a rate that is on the high end of what the trip (with traffic and multiple route options) is likely to cost. However, Uber only pays drivers for the time and distance they travel. So if the driver takes a shorter/faster route, they get paid less, but you still pay Uber the same.

In your case, it sounds like Uber's algorithm screwed up, and when it underestimates, it automatically is set to charge you more so that Uber does not eat the extra cost. Keep responding to Uber's bots until you get a real person. It may take multiple (5+) messages to get there.

Gig103

Is there a "Wait time" on your receipt? If not, I woudl expect the trip fare to match what was quoted.

diburning

Lyft has done this to me too. With up-front pricing, and nothing in the T&C that says that they would charge us more, I have made it a habit of taking a screenshot just before I hit request so that if it does end up being higher, I'd have some sort of evidence when I contact them.

Lyft skims the difference too. I had a driver accidentally end a ride in the middle of the trip while trying to switch apps to show me something (the driver happened to be a friend of a friend). We both contacted Lyft to make sure that he was paid correctly (I was charged the full amount while he was only paid up to the point of ending the ride) Surprise surprise, Lyft sent both of us canned responses. I left him a generous tip anyway to make up for it, so all is well.

Lyft may not be in the media like Uber is for pulling underhanded tactics, but they do pretty much the same things although Lyft is still slightly better.

Miami305

Respectfully disagree with what I highlighted in your message above. This is the message Lyft wants the public to believe, and their PR department has been very good about pouncing on Uber's mistakes. Also, Uber is run by a complete moron and Lyft isn't.

However, with that said, drivers who I know that work for both platforms indicate that Lyft's driver support is 100% as bad as Uber's is when it comes to finding ways to gouge drivers.

john2g1

Meh that's pretty much true but Lyft is in fact slightly better than Uber (from a driver standpoint). In app tipping is the most obvious example where as Uber will lie to their riders and tell them the tip is included.

*Spoiler alert* No tip is included

As a rider... Both apps are about the same... No wait Uber now hides how much of a supply/demand premium you're paying (surge aka prime time). Lyft on the other hand currently tells you your premium making Lyft slightly better.

john2g1

So a lot of the posters neither answered you question OR gave relevant feedback.

As a driver I have had two things happen that COULD increase you total (that said $4 is a lot considering).

Situation 1: I was in a bad cell phone spot and the app didn't end the trip until later making it appear as though the final destination was further away.

Situation 2: I forgot to end the trip until later making it appear as though the final destination was further away.

If you check the receipt for your trip it should show your start and end. The receipt comes with a map that shows your trip start and stop locations. If the route doesn't match real life then you have found the problem.

prncess674

hmm, I just checked. It is the correct address and the beginning and ending points are correct. at first I thought it was incorrect but no.

Miami305

At $0.75-1.25/mile, it is HIGHLY unlikely that either of the situations you describe would result in a $4 increase in fares.

Diplomatico

This has happened to me on a number of occasions and I've always been able to get the additional money (above the "up-front pricing" quote) returned by Uber.

I use the "I want a refund" option associated with the particular trip, explain that I was offered a fixed price fare of ____ and that my final charge was ____. I identify the exact pick-up and drop-off locations and then tell them that "fixed price means fixed price" and any route, traffic, or weather deviations is not relevant to the meaning of a fixed price.

It's sometimes taken a few follow-ups but I've been reimbursed each time for the excess charge.

cestmoi123

I've had several recent trips where the fare was "adjusted" to be much higher than the upfront fare. I went the "I want a refund" route, and got it corrected.

luckyjohn888

l just took an uber where the estimated fare was $36 but the final fare I was charged was $61. No stops , no waiting, traffic was lighter than normal. ???
starting to rethink using Uber now.

vgc

Can you screenshot the uber app so it shows the pricing when you first look at it?